Swaddle Up™ Safety: The OPSS Sleeping Bag Alert Explained

Following the recent Product Safety Alert on baby sleeping bags from the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), parents have asked us what it means for the Swaddle Up™. Safer sleep is central to everything we design, and it's important that parents have clear, accurate information.

This page sets out what the alert says, how the Swaddle Up™ differs from the sleeping bags it describes, and how to continue using yours correctly.

What does the OPSS alert say?

On 1 October 2026, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) issued a Product Safety Alert about baby sleeping bags used for unsupervised sleep in a cot or crib. It follows nearly 50 recalls and product safety reports for baby sleeping bags in the UK since 2023.

The alert advises parents and carers not to buy or use a baby sleeping bag that:

• Has no armholes. Without armholes to keep baby in position, a baby could slip down inside the bag, which can lead to overheating and suffocation.
• Has a hood. A hood may cover baby's nose and mouth and cause similar harm.

Many of the recalled products had a hood, a neck opening that was too large, or both.

The alert also sets out what it does not cover. It does not apply to:

• products designed specifically to swaddle a baby
• sleeping bags that meet BS EN 16781:2018, the safety standard for children's sleeping bags used in a cot
• items made to be worn in a pram, like pramsuits and footmuffs

You can read the full alert on gov.uk: Product Safety Alert: Baby Sleeping Bags (PSA9).

The Swaddle Up™ has no armholes. Why is it not covered by the alert?

Because the alert does not apply to products designed specifically to swaddle a baby, and the Swaddle Up™ is designed specifically for swaddling.

How is a swaddle different from a sleeping bag?

This is an understandable question. A zip-up swaddle and a sleeping bag can look similar, but they are designed for different stages of development and serve different purposes.

A sleeping bag is a wearable blanket for babies who sleep with their arms free. Baby's arms come out through the armholes, and those armholes help keep the bag in place on their body. Without armholes, a loose-fitting sleeping bag has little to stop a baby slipping down inside it. This is the risk the alert addresses.

A swaddle is designed to keep baby's arms inside during the early weeks, before they start to roll. The Swaddle Up™ does this in an arms-up position, so baby can keep their hands near their face, the position many babies naturally adopt for sleep. Because it's a swaddle, it has no armholes by design. Instead, it is designed to fit closely:

• A fitted neck opening and a fitted waist. The Swaddle Up™ style doesn't fall within the scope of the sleeping bag standard, BS EN 16781:2018. But we apply the parts of that standard that are relevant to its design, including the neck opening size. That requirement exists to help stop a baby slipping down inside the bag, which is exactly the risk the alert describes. We check it through fitting, bulk production and final inspection.
• Sized by weight, not age, so it fits your baby's current size.
• No hood, so there's nothing to cover baby's face.
• For the swaddling stage only. Use should stop as soon as baby shows signs of trying to roll, at which point baby moves to arms-free sleep.

How do Love to Dream™ products compare?

We make products for three stages of sleep, each designed for a different point in your baby's development. Here's how each one compares with the sleeping bags the alert is about.

We can only speak for our own products. If you have a sleeping bag from another brand, see the last question below.

How to use your Swaddle Up™ with confidence

1. Back to sleep, in a clear cot. Always place baby on their back, in a cot or crib with no loose bedding, pillows, bumpers or toys. The Swaddle Up™ is designed to be used without extra bedding. Our Safe Sleep for Babies guide has more on setting up their sleep space.
2. Choose the size by weight. Use baby's weight, not their age, and never size up so they have room to grow. Find the right size in our size guide.
3. Check the neck fit. The neckline should sit snugly but comfortably, with room for one to two fingers. It should never be able to ride up over baby's mouth. If baby's head could slip through it, it's too big.
4. Match the TOG to the room. Check the room temperature, choose the matching TOG and dress baby underneath using our layering guide. To check baby isn't too hot, feel their chest or the back of their neck. Cooler hands and feet are normal.
5. Know when to move on. Stop swaddling as soon as baby shows signs of trying to roll or loses the startle reflex, whichever comes first. Signs to look out for include kicking their legs up high, pushing up during tummy time and reaching for their toes. Read When to Stop Swaddling Your Baby, or see how the Swaddle Up™ Transition Bag helps baby move to arms-free sleep one arm at a time.
6. Check the zip. Don't use it if the zip is damaged.

If your baby was born prematurely or has a medical condition, speak to your health visitor or GP before using any sleep product.

If you have any further questions about the alert or our products, please contact our Customer Care team, who will be happy to help.